The Intensity of Softness
by Whisperwings
Summary: In the midst of their busy lives, Geoffrey and Kate find just how intense softness can be and how soft intensity can feel. Kate/Geoffrey


The Softness of Intensity and the Intensity of Softness – A Knight's Tale One shot

Kate watched in amusement as Geoff and Wat started to fight, not bothering to stop eating her own supper. The two of them were always fighting about something or other. Roland halfheartedly told them to shut up, but like her he didn't really bother to try. If it turned to blows then maybe they would do something to stop it. Maybe.

Sir William Thatcher noticed nothing of this however, seeing as his eyes were focused on the vision of a woman sitting beside him. Jocelyn, his beloved Jocelyn, was his. And he could not be distracted from her.

Kate glanced at the two of them and immediately back down at her food. Honestly she found them sickening. Both so perfect, and so…all over each other. Kate didn't really like Jocelyn. She was high born, beautiful, and rich. What bothered Kate was that she knew it and reveled in it. The blacksmith saw her as a spoiled brat and nothing more. She didn't know what Will could possibly love in such a creature.

Kate sighed, thinking back to when she had once been courted by her to-be husband. She remembered feeling giddy, and how she thought of him almost constantly. She remembered the night's he'd take her out for supper, and how the walk home would always take longer than it should have thanks to frequent stops in alleyways for quick kisses. But at the same time…he'd been teaching her about armor making, and they'd talk about practical things. And once they got engaged they'd planned on traveling with the tournament fairs to offer their services as blacksmiths and armor smiths.

Will and Jocelyn…just muttered sweet nothings to each other all day long. Will spent a good deal of his money on gifts for her, and she happily spent her time demanding his attention.

It all annoyed Kate to no end.

And so, as soon as she finished her lunch, she excused herself and went back to work. She reveled in the silence of the empty forge, only the sound of her own hammering and the roar of the fire to keep her company. It was- now that she thought about it- rather lonely. It hadn't been so bad when working with her husband. And after he had died she had eventually gotten used to working alone. But now that she had friends again…her time alone in the smithy was only welcome for a short time. Then she simply felt lonesome.

She looked up with surprise as Geoffrey came into the smithy, his bundle of writing supplies in his arms. "Do you mind if I sit in here for a time? I think Wat would very happily skin me alive right now."

Kat chucked softly as she plunged a softly glowing horseshoe into a bucket of water, the steam hissing violently. "What did you do this time?"

"Oh…nothing too terrible." He said evasively. At that moment they heard Wat's voice coming nearer, shouting angrily. Geoff put a finger to his lips and ducked around behind a wall, hiding in the shadows.

"Where is he?!" Wat exclaimed, stomping into the smithy. "I am going to fong him so good…" Kate raised an eyebrow.

"I haven't seen him…why? What has he done now?"

It was a chuckling Roland who answered. "Geoff stole his lady friend." Kate felt her other eyebrow rise beside the first.

"Oh really now?" Wat flushed a deep red, though she wasn't sure if it was from embarrassment or anger.

"She was pretty…and she and I were talking and he just swept in with his fancy words and made her forget all about me!" Now Kate really did feel bad for him. Wat had quite a nasty temper…and ladies weren't always overly fond of him, despite his adorable hesitancy when he got the courage to approach them. And for Geoff to do such a thing… Kate pondered revealing his hiding place for a moment, but decided she'd rather give him a lashing herself.

"Well, I'm afraid he isn't here. I'll give you a shout if he stops by though." She told them. Wat nodded and stomped out again, Roland on his heels and still chuckling in amusement. The moment they were gone, Kate set down her hammer and tongs and made her way to the back corner.

"Well?" she asked him, hands on her hips.

"I was helping him!"

"Oh? And how pray tell were you doing that?" Kate asked, her Scottish accent slipping through slightly.

"She wasn't really flirting with him. She was paid by some of the men in the corner to make him think she liked him then to embarrass him somehow, I overheard them talking!" Kate's stance relaxed a bit, though she still stared down at him.

"And how am I supposed to know you aren't making that up? You're the one who prides himself on telling tales after all." Geoff stood, nodding reluctantly.

"Well you could go and ask them, I'm sure they'd tell you all about their antics. But being the artist I am, I am not one to break up such a beautiful thing. Not even for Wat. The man has such terrible luck with women he doesn't need my help to mess it up."

Kate stared at him for a long moment then nodded. "Alright. You can stay here if you like, he won't check the smithy again for a good long while." Geoff offered her a quick and easy smile, sitting down on a crate and setting his writing supplies on a barrel.

"And you have my thanks, m'lady." He said graciously as he unpacked. "Don't worry, you won't even know I'm here."

And that was how it had all started. Kate had found that even though they didn't talk she enjoyed his company. He worked on his work, and she on hers, but neither had to be alone. That wasn't the last time he came to work in the smithy. At first he had excuses, good ones. As time went by however his reasons became more and more extravagant, aimed more to amuse her than explain his reason for being there. And eventually…he'd stopped giving any explanation at all.

That wasn't all that changed though. More and more often, Geoffrey found himself unable to concentrate on his writing, preferring to just sit and watch Kate work. There was something mesmerizing in her methodical work, at least that's what he told himself. He told himself that he was watching creations be formed from scrap metal, not watching the way Kate walked confidently from one station to another. He said he was watching the cherry glow of iron and not the rosy glow of her cheeks. He told himself he was watching a tangle of wire be turned into nails and not watching her neat braid come unraveled as the day wore on.

Kate meanwhile was inventing some lies of her own. She told herself that the flattering terms he used to describe her were just the jokes of a friend. She told herself that the scratching of his quill was just a notice to fill the silence, and not comforting to her ears. She told herself that the fact that he had begun to ask her honest opinion on things we wrote didn't make her feel privileged that she got to hear them before anyone else. She told herself that the melodic way he spoke didn't make her heart flip flop, especially when he was talking to her and her alone.

One day, when Geoff went to refill her water bucket for her, he came back to find her looking over his latest creation. His cheeks flushed red; he'd been writing about her. He'd never meant for her to see such things.

"Oh I- I was just- you know- making up things-" he stopped when he saw her tracing the pen lines on the page.

"It's very pretty…almost like a painting. I suppose writing really is an art isn't it?" Geoff came closer and looked at the words she was tracing, and didn't see her face change in the slightest when she traced over her own name.

"You can't read?" he asked and she chuckled.

"Oh no. Reading and writing is for scribes and nobility, not for blacksmiths." Geoff smiled down at her.

"Reading, my blossom, is for everyone. It can open doors to worlds you've only dreamed of, allow you to travel anywhere, and do anything!" Kate looked up at him incredulously.

"It can? How?"

"Because anything can be written. Stories of far off lands, tales of incredible heroes. If it can be imagined, it can be written to be shared with others." Kate looked down thoughtfully at the scribbled page on the barrel's lid.

"Do- do you think you could teach me?" Geoff beamed at her, very happy that she'd asked. He grabbed a second crate and in a dramatic gesture, lay his coat over it.

"I can offer you a clean seat as well, m'lady." He said with a bow. She laughed and tossed his coat back at him.

"I'll only get it dirty, I'm covered in soot." She pointed out.

"Ah, yes. Well, no matter. Because we're going to get started right away in any case!" he announced. Kate chuckled and sat down and he began to teach her the letters of the alphabet.

Eventually, the reading and writing lessons became a part of the daily routine. When they were at a tournament, they would do their duties to Will as armor smith and herald. But once those things were done, they were left time to other projects. Kate worked with her forge from the early morning hours and Geoff would join her slightly before lunch. And after the group got together for a noon meal, Kate and Geoffrey would sit together at the makeshift desk for reading lessons. After a bit of that, they would go back to their own work once again.

If Geoff was having a hard time not thinking about her before, it was infinitely worse now. During the lessons she sat so close he could smell her hair, and often had to force himself to keep his hands from brushing the thick raven locks out of her face. And he was increasingly delighted to hear her allow her Scottish lilt to be heard, especially when she was concentrating especially hard. Kate was having similar problems, except with his eyes. Those beautiful blue eyes flitted across the pages with a lightning speed when he read something aloud to her, and seemed to sparkle extra bright once she figured things out. She found herself working extra hard, wanting to see his eyes sparkle for her.

Despite this, their conversation retained the same light-hearted easy-going feeling. The two bounced off each other easily in conversation, and others had a difficult time keeping up when they were present. They were both so stubborn and sarcastic…yet there was no hostility present to make a conversation go sour. At least not much. They argued all the time, but neither could be stay angry at the other for long.

And the sudden amount of time the two were spending together was not lost on the others. Will and Roland often found themselves wondering how Wat could be so oblivious, as the ginger seemed to have noticed nothing. Whenever he and Geoff fought, everyone but the redhead knew he would be heading to the smithy to hide. He would stop and ask Kate if she'd seen him and she would say no. And often as he left to continue his search, Will or Roland or both would stride into the smithy themselves and strike up a conversation with Geoff or Kate, and they all wondered how the tall man could be so oblivious.

Kate didn't know when it happened…but at some point her feelings of simple physical attraction grew to something more. The easy flirtation between the two grew more common as the days went by, yet the comfortable feeling never once left. Kate never felt on edge, thrilled to the point of no control, and overwhelmed by her feelings as Will had once described his feelings for Jocelyn. Instead…things simply steadily progressed at a pace she was comfortable with. She wondered to herself sometimes, if it had been that wild ride she had felt with her husband, if she may have been frightened away. She didn't think after losing him that her heart would ever be able to handle such intense feelings ever again. But with Geoff…she still felt that intensity, but it had grown so slowly, so gradually, as if to make her heart accustomed to it.

Geoff was wondering if he'd gone completely mad. He could think only of Kate it seemed, everything he did led back to her in some way or other. And for the first time in his life, the idea of being with one woman – and just one woman – didn't frighten the wits right out of him. He'd even put Kate into one of his stories, or at least a woman who looked conveniently like her. He was always very careful to keep that one hidden away from Kate's eyes. Her reading was greatly improving, and though she may not be able to read it perfectly, she'd be able to get the general idea he was sure.

Kate was working on a new breastplate for Will one day when she heard someone come in. She looked up in surprise, wondering who it could be. Geoff was off doing his job as a herald, and Wat and Roland were performing their own duties as squires. She blinked in shock and saw Jocelyn standing before her.

"I'm sorry, do you mind? I know you generally prefer working alone." The woman said. Kate shook her head, dumbfounded and received a gracious smile in return. "I thank you." She sat down on the bench by the door, watching Kate work in silence.

Kate had to marvel at the woman. She no longer worse such ridiculous clothing anymore, though it was still fancier than most. Even Jocelyn had recognized the need for practicality in a life of travel. Her dress today was simple, though she made it look lovely. And her hair wasn't in a fancy updo, but rather left to hang in gently down her back. She no longer begged for Will's attention all the time, and had told him to stop buying her gifts. Instead, she had taught herself to knit and weave on a small hand loom to keep herself busy, and insisted that they occasionally spend their spare money on extra rooms when they stayed at inns along the way, so that she and Will wouldn't be the only ones to sleep in a real bed. Her love for Will had started that change, and Kate knew it hadn't been a voluntary change at first. But over time the woman had overcome such feelings, and now really seemed to be enjoying the life she'd fallen into.

"You really care for him don't you?" Jocelyn suddenly asked. Kate, caught off guard by the sudden question, looked up in confusion.

"I'm sorry?"

"Geoffrey. You're feelings for him have grown." Kate looked down at the breastplate as it heated in the fire.

"I suppose so. He has proven himself to be a good friend." She looked up in time to see a knowing smile flit across the other woman's face.

"I think you see him as more than a friend, don't you?" she asked and Kate felt herself blush.

"I don't know what you mean."

"I think you do. Or your heart does, even if your mind has not yet figured it out."

"Figured what out?" said Geoff's confident voice as he came nearer. The joust must have already ended. Kate sighed that she'd missed it, but the sooner she got this new breastplate done the happier she'd be. Will's was growing a tad weak and she didn't need him getting hurt because her armor hadn't been properly tended to.

"Nothing really." Jocelyn said in answer to his question. "We were just talking about a new design for Kate's maker's mark. She hasn't decided on one yet, and I offered to sketch up some designs." Kate sent a grateful smile in her direction and easily fell into the lie the other woman had started.

"Which I believe will be very helpful. I haven't had much time to brainstorm lately." Jocelyn grinned.

"I'll do my best. In the mean time…just think about it." Kate blushed slightly, knowing Jocelyn wasn't talking about designs for a maker's mark, and nodded before she turned to leave. Geoff watched her leave and chuckled.

"Who would have thought…she turned out to be a better person that I expected, I can tell you that."

"And I." Kate said, her voice soft as she was still deep in thought. Were her feelings that obvious? More importantly…were they really that strong? She had managed to avoid even thinking of the word love…so far at least. This afternoon's conversation had slipped it into her mind though, and now it swirled about her head.

"Kate? Are you alright?" she looked up and realized just how close he was to her and blushed deeper.

"What? I mean, yes- yes I'm fine." She stumbled. He put his hands on her shoulders and she looked defiantly up at him.

"Now Kate, I think I know you well enough by now to be able to tell that you're not telling me the entire truth." She blushed and backed away and out of reach.

"Really, everything's fine." she insisted, and went back to work, ending the conversation. She knew Geoff was simply watching her for a time, but eventually he went to his seat and started writing. Well…he sat there at least; he seemed unable to write a word. Eventually he said he was going to get himself something to snack on and left and Kate sighed. She looked down at the breastplate and realized that in her absentmindedness, she'd hammered out a rather large dent, and cursed herself. She couldn't allow herself to get distracted, not when working on armor! She'd have to start all over again… Most would simply fold the metal over on itself and hammer it seamless, but she knew it would leave a weak spot. She tossed the ruined breastplate aside and sighed, walking over to see what Geoffrey had been writing.

The paper was utterly blank. In all the time he'd been sitting there he hadn't written anything. He was really that worried…a sudden idea entered her mind and she grabbed the quill he'd left, scratching something onto the paper before getting back to work.

Geoff came back to see that Kate had for some reason started a new project and sighed. It was unlike her to leave a project unfinished, especially when she was working on Will's armor. He sat down on his crate, wondering what was going on with her. He watched her work for a time, then simply stared unseeing at the wall of the smithy. Finally he picked up his pen and prepared to write. The sight of something scribbled on his parchment made him stop though.

The handwriting was shaky, but legible, and after weeks of lessons he knew it was Kate's. he glanced up and her and back down at the paper and read what she'd written.

'_You wanted to know what was wrong…here it is. You are a complete idiot, and I think I'm falling in love with you.'_

Kate was shaking with suppressed tears by now. He'd been sitting there for ages, and she knew he could read so much faster than her. The fact that he hadn't said anything yet told her one thing. He didn't feel the same. She'd been stupid to think that maybe he had, and now she'd possibly ruined their friendship. Something she didn't want to lose, not ever.

"Kate…" she heard him whisper and she glanced over her shoulder to see him standing behind her. She turned away to hide her tears, wiping them away with the back of her hand.

"Yes?" she said, trying to keep her voice steady. He didn't say anything, simply turned her around. She glared up at him, knowing her eyes were still swimming with tears and hating herself for it. To her surprise he simply brushed one gentle thumb across her cheek, wiping away the tracks her tears had left in the soot on her face. She looked up at him in utter bewilderment, no longer sure what was going on. Her heart fluttered with painful hope, hope she was unsure was wise to have. He only smiled softly, cupping her cheek in the palm of his hand.

"You're an idiot too." He whispered, and leaned down to kiss her.

_----------------------------------------------------------------_

_Oh my gosh another one shot!! Yay! I love Kate to death, I really do. She's sooo much awesomer than Jocelyn. I see her the way Kate does at the beginning of this story, but I tried to be nice towards the end... don't be surprise if you see another one shot of Kate/Will, just cuz she's amazing XD But Geoff is awesome too, so I had fun writing this ^^ I see their relationship as being so much fun! There will be sweet moments yes, but not all the time, just because they both have such strong personalities._

_Anyways, this was a really dumb thing to do cuz I wrote it all in one sitting, it's now 3:30 in the morning, and I'm driving to visit friends and go to a Halloween party tonight. Oh wait...it's Halloween! Happy Halloween everyone!! Anyways, I wouldn't be surprised if there are a ton of mistakes in here, the caffine wore off ages ago._

_Please review, it means sooo much! Especially on my one-shots as I'm not very good at them and need to know what i'm doing right and/or wrong. So please review!_

_Your Humble Authoress, _

_Whisperwings_


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